Joseph D. Metty, a retired paving contractor and a church deacon, died Monday under hospice care in West Seneca after a long illness. He was 71.

Born in Lackawanna, he attended Lackawanna High School. He worked in the coke ovens and other production departments at Bethlehem Steel Corp. from 1966 until it closed 1983, then did rubbish removal and was a taxi driver before he acquired blacktopping machinery and started J&M Paving and Sealing in 1989. He retired in 2000.

Mr. Metty was a founding member of the nondenominational Grace Gospel Church, which was started by his brother, Rev. Gerald J. Graham, in 1979. He was ordained as a deacon in the church in 2003.

His wife of 39 years, the former Rosemarie Reino, a master hair stylist, is a singer and worship leader in the church. Their son, Joseph R., recently was installed as pastor at Bible Believers Church in Cheektowaga.

Mr. Metty also was an evangelist, volunteer and speaker at Buffalo Adult and Teen Challenge and at Buffalo City Mission. In the 1970s and 1980s he was a softball pitcher in the Western New York Christian Athletic League.

He also was a member of Ray Metty Memorial Post 897, AMVETS, which is named after his brother, who died in Vietnam on Christmas 1966.

In addition to his wife and son, survivors include two other sons, Frank M. and Anthony D.; a daughter, Mary Elizabeth Cousins; two brothers, John “Jack” Graham and Thomas; and three grandchildren.

Services will be held at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, June 16, in Grace Gospel Church, 5575 Broadway, Lancaster.